Minecraft News

Chunk Mail

FROM: Shane K. / LeftoversNZ

RE: Shattered Savannah Inspiration

Hi Pix and Joel

I just wanted to drop a line to say hi and thank you for a great quality Minecraft podcast. I just discovered The Spawn Chunks a couple of weeks back and am thoroughly enjoying it. The completionist in me can’t help but go back and listen to them all  in order, from the beginning, I’m currently up to episode 24.

I’m a graphic designer and so greatly appreciate the discussion around custom tweaks you’ve made to particular blocks to quiet the eye twitch of neon yellow hay bales and others. It has inspired me to stop looking for the perfect texture pack and start looking into tweaking the default pack to suit myself.

I’ve also really enjoyed the talk around building a lore around your worlds to help drive a story and consistency. I play on a few realms amongst old friends and work colleagues but have just started another realm of my own to drive my own lore/story arc.

I particularly love the landscape of shattered savannah’s with the sheer hills, interesting cave structures and the vibrant colours and the challenge of building into these landscapes rather than clearing and flattening.

Developing a lore around this world has helped me build a clear vision for it working with the idea that the land was once roamed by titan size creepers, skeletons, zombies etc. The shattered Savannah being the result of a titan creeper blast and the vibrancy compared to a standard savannah being the spirit of these titans being returned to the Earth making for highly fertile lands.

This idea is expanding to even now as I write this taking in Greek mythology and even Final Fantasy influences around the world Gaia and how this might inform of other cities within the world. Also building into this idea is the spawners around the world being the remnant energy from where age old titans have fallen.

The discussion style of The Spawn Chunks has really helped the creative juices flow and you can trust that I’ve shared The Spawn Chunks amongst my various realm groups.

Have a great Christmas and New Year. Who knows by the time you get back to the first episode of 2020 I might have just caught up!

In game I’m known as LeftoversNZ but to my family I’m known as Shane.

Cheers!

• Giant creeper fossill by mayoinajar (Redddit)

Buzzing Along With Buzzy Bees